[aymara] ES La condena pública por parte de la Unión Europea del “apartheid lingüístico” paraguayo.

["Joan Moles i Carrera" <Joan.Moles@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

PEDIMOS QUE LA UNIÓN EUROPEA CONTRIBUYA ACTIVAMENTE A PONER FIN AL 
“APARTHEID LINGÜÍSTICO” CONTRA EL GUARANÍ EN PARAGUÁIDe: Karaku - 
Observatorio Guaraní Europeo -- Karaku - Tesarekoha Avañe'ê Európape
Para: Karaku - Observatorio Guaraní Europeo -- Karaku - Tesarekoha Avañe'ê 
Európape
Tema: “Ñe’ê Ñemboyke” Paraguáipe - “Apartheid Lingüístico” paraguayo - 
Paraguayan “Linguistic Apartheid” - “Apartheid Linguistique” paraguayen - 
Die paraguayische „sprachliche Apartheid“

ES     La condena pública por parte de la Unión Europea del “apartheid 
lingüístico” paraguayo.

A Sr. Ján Figel’
Comisario de Educación, Formación, Cultura y Multilingüismo, Comisión 
Europea
CAB–FIGEL@xxxxxxxxxxxx

A todos los miembros del Parlamento Europeo

A Sr. Moritz Leuenberger
A la Presidencia de la Confederación Helvética
webmaster@xxxxxxxx, moritz.leuenberger@xxxxxxxx

Pedimos que la Unión Europea contribuya activamente, sobre todo mediante 
cooperación técnica y económica, aunque también con inspecciones 
internacionales, a poner fin al sistema implícito de “apartheid lingüístico” 
(1811–2006) en  Paraguay contra el guaraní.

Como ciudadanos de Paraguay, pedimos de forma pública a la Unión Europea, a 
los Estados miembros, a los Estados candidatos y a todas las comunidades 
lingüísticas y ciudadanos de la Unión Europea y Suiza (por su larga 
tradición de país constitucionalmente y efectivamente multilingüe), que 
contribuyan a poner fin al inmoral régimen implícito de “apartheid 
lingüístico” vigente en Paraguay desde 1811 hasta hoy y que ha segregado a 
millones de paraguayos de lengua guaraní durante dos siglos, impidiéndoles 
el acceso a la educación, a la formación y a la información en guaraní y con 
ellos impidiendo su real y activa participación social, cultural, económica 
y política.

¿Cuál es, de forma breve, la situación del guaraní?

Es la lengua primera, autóctona y mayoritaria de Paraguay.

De acuerdo con el Censo Nacional de Población y Viviendas de Paraguay del 
año 2002, el 59 por ciento de todos los hogares paraguayos es de lengua 
guaraní.

Se calcula que entre 6 y 12 millones de personas hablan guaraní en Paraguay, 
Bolivia, Argentina y Brasil.

El 1992 se declaró, por primera vez en toda la historia del Paraguay 
independiente (1811), la cooficialidad en todo el país del guaraní, aunque 
esta declaración no ha tenido ningún efecto real hasta hoy (2006). Las 
carencias más terribles y visibles de la no aplicación de la cooficialidad 
son: la Administración estatal —todas sus ramas— no funciona en guaraní, las 
leyes no se publican ni se han publicado nunca en guaraní, los productos 
comerciales no se comercializan con instrucciones en guaraní, no existen 
regulaciones sobre cuotas de uso del guaraní por parte de los medios de 
comunicación públicos y privados, la imagen y la simbología nacional de 
Paraguay no incorporan el guaraní, el guaraní no es lengua oficial ni de 
trabajo de las distintas instituciones y organismos del Mercosur ni de otros 
organismos de los que forma parte Paraguay, etc.

No hay educación en guaraní. En 1994 se introdujo de forma experimental la 
enseñanza en guaraní en 118 escuelas sobre casi 6.000 escuelas que tenía 
Paraguay en ese año. En 1997 había 400 escuelas con la modalidad de 
enseñanza en guaraní. En 2006 sólo 10 escuelas continúan con la enseñanza en 
guaraní, después de que el Gobierno Paraguayo dejase de apoyar activa y 
claramente esta modalidad. Esta política estatal, que perjudica a la mayoría 
de la población, no ha provocado ninguna denuncia internacional, a pesar de 
que nunca en doscientos años se ha educado a los paraguayos en guaraní, la 
lengua mayoritaria del país.

¿Por qué nos dirigimos a la Unión Europea y a Suiza?

– Porque la Unión Europea (y Suiza) es, y quiere serlo, un referente 
universal en la gestión del multilingüismo.

– Porque en la Unión Europea hay Estados que funcionan con dos o más 
lenguas: Finlandia, Bélgica, Malta, Irlanda, Luxemburgo, España de forma 
parcial, Italia de forma parcial, el Reino Unido de forma parcial, etc.

– Porque la protección de los derechos lingüísticos, tal como se entienden y 
se practican en la Unión Europea y Suiza, no ha llegado a Paraguay ni a 
muchos países de América. Únicamente ha llegado a Quebec (y a Canadá en su 
conjunto), y básicamente sólo para proteger muy activamente una lengua 
europea: el francés. En ningún país de la Unión Europea se consentiría que 
se gobernase en la lengua “colonial” y de la minoría y que en ámbitos tan 
básicos como la Administración pública y la justicia la lengua autóctona de 
la mayoría de la población no pudiera usarse con normalidad y plenitud.

– Porque en América, cuando se habla de multilingüismo, normalmente sólo se 
habla de las lenguas europeas (inglés, francés, castellano, portugués, 
neerlandés), que han minorizado, asesinado o marginalizado a las lenguas 
americanas y las relaciones entre sí. Es elocuente que ninguna lengua 
americana, en 2006, sea una lengua normal de Estado en América. Ningún otro 
continente del mundo se halla en esta situación. La justicia en el mundo, si 
no se quiere crear más resentimiento entre las distintas comunidades 
humanas, también pasa por estatalizar en América las lenguas americanas que 
todavía hoy cuentan con millones de hablantes o son muy viables en su 
contexto y en la protección y promoción de las demás lenguas.

– Porque tal vez hoy las lenguas oficiales de la Unión Europea y Suiza (pero 
también las que no son oficiales) no se sientan amenazadas por otras lenguas 
ni se sientan en peligro de extinción. Pero si en las Américas se imponen 
cuatro (o cinco) lenguas, todas europeas: inglés, castellano, portugués y 
francés (y neerlandés), y el proceso de genocidio lingüístico y cultural de 
América (con prácticas tan abominables, inhumanas e injustas como el 
"apartheid  lingüístico" paraguayo) no se detienen, cuando "nosotros" 
emigremos, a un ritmo mucho mayor que el presente, a la Unión Europea y 
Suiza –con la memoria viva de la nula ayuda recibida cuando nuestras lenguas 
eran genocidadas–, constituiremos enormes bolsas de hablantes de inglés o 
castellano (o portugués) en muchos países. Y los africanos que verán morir 
sus lenguas bajo el francés, el inglés, el portugués o el árabe, aumentarán 
las bolsas de hablantes de estas lenguas. Ochocientos mil hablantes de 
castellano o de portugués, de cualquier origen, en Dinamarca (5,5 millones 
de habitantes) o en Finlandia (5,3 millones) o en Suecia (9 millones) o en 
Irlanda (4 millones) serán una "minoría alófona" a proteger y contribuirán a 
cambiar la historia y el perfil lingüístico de estos países. No será culpa 
nuestra. Se asesinan, ante la indiferencia de todos, nuestras lenguas. Se 
asesina, ante la  indiferencia de todos, el guaraní y se conculcan los 
derechos humanos y lingüísticos más básicos de sus hablantes, la mayoría de 
paraguayos. Si nada cambia, contribuiremos, a pesar nuestro, a asesinar 
otras lenguas. Lo sentimos. Somos inocentes.

¿Qué pedimos?

La condena pública por parte de la Unión Europea del “apartheid lingüístico” 
paraguayo.

La cooperación efectiva política, económica y técnica de la Unión Europea 
para acabar con el “apartheid lingüístico” paraguayo contra el guaraní

Lo pedimos ahora. Y no queremos sólo palabras.

Europa, ¿sólo escuchas tus voces (tus lenguas)?

Firman,

Movimiento de Educadores Jekupytyrâ
jekupytyra@xxxxxxxxx

Movimiento Campesino Paraguayo
info@okaraygua–paraguai.org
mcp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.okaraygua–paraguai.org

Coordinadora de Productores Agrícolas de San Pedro Norte

Partido Convergencia Popular Socialista
pcps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fundación Yvy Marâe’ÿ
yvymaraey.fundacion@xxxxxxxxx

Ateneo de Lengua y Cultura Guaraní
ateneo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.ateneoguarani.edu.py

Organización Nacional de Aborígenes Independientes

Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones de Mujeres Trabajadoras Rurales e 
Indígenas – CONAMURI
conamuri@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ñe’êeta rekávo Aty – Organización por el Multilingüismo
guarani@om–plural.org

Grupo Kuruvíka
curuvica@xxxxxxxxx

Karaku · Observatorio Guaraní Europeo
karaku.tae@xxxxxxxxx

Paraguay–Asunción, 19 de noviembre de 2006
___________________________________________________

WE DEMAND THE END OF “LINGUISTIC APARTHEID” IN PARAGUAY! ENOUGH OF TWO 
HUNDRED YEARS OF DISCRIMINATION!

FIRST REMINDER
MONTH 1

One month ago, the Paraguayan civil society requested the political class of 
Paraguay (see below) to assume responsibilities and end the shameful and 
ignoble system of “LINGUISTIC APARTHEID” that has predominated in Paraguay, 
in its state administration, media, judicial system, education, culture, 
etc. in its 195 years of national independence (1811–2006). This domination 
has excluded all those who speak Guaraní as their first language from their 
culture, education and from fully participating in Paraguay’s social and 
political life, and this is particularly so for those who only speak 
Guaraní. (According to the National Population and Household Census 2002 of 
Paraguay, Guaraní is the language spoken by 59% of all Paraguayan 
households!)

One month after our petition, the political class of Paraguay has not yet 
explained how they plan to dismantle the “linguistic apartheid” system that 
has existed in Paraguay for the last two centuries. The international 
community also has failed to make public the measures they will take or 
sanctions that will be imposed on the state for two hundred years of severe 
violations of the most basic human rights, the linguistic rights of the 
Guaraní–speaking population.

We demand answers!

And we will continue to demand them!

The truth and our longing for justice are on our side!

Mbo’ehára Ñemongu’e Jekupytyrâ – Movimiento de Educadores Jekupytyrâ
Okaraygua Ñemongu’e Paraguáipe – Movimiento Campesino Paraguayo
Coordinadora de Productores Agrícolas de San Pedro Norte
Partido Convergencia Popular Socialista
Fundación Yvy Marâe’ÿ
Ateneo de Lengua y Cultura Guaraní
Organización Nacional de Aborígenes Independientes
Ñe’êeta rekávo Aty – Organización por el Multilingüismo

Asunción, 31 August 2006

Open letter (8). “Guaraní, an official language of Mercosur” Campaign. To 
the political class of the Paraguayan nation. First reminder. Month one.

ADDRESSEES
Excelentísimo Señor Nicanor Duarte Frutos
Presidente de la República del Paraguay
secretariadecomunicaciones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Excelentísimo Señor Ing. Luis Alberto Castiglioni
Vicepresidente de la República del Paraguay

*Honorable Cámara de Diputados del Paraguay*

Diputado Nacional Víctor Alcides Bogado González
Presidente
victorbogado@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Diputado Nacional Carlos Nelson Chávez Arguello
Vicepresidente 1º
cnchavez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Diputado Nacional Lino M. Agüero Cantero
Vicepresidente 2º
lmaguero@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dip. E. Zacarías Vera Cárdenas
Secretario parlamentario
ezvera@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dip. Atilio Penayo Ortega
Secretario parlamentario
apenayo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dip. Mario Alberto Coronel Paredes
Secretario parlamentario
macoronel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*Honorable Cámara de Senadores del Paraguay*

Senador Enrique González Quintana
Presidente
gquintana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Senador Armando Vicente Espínola Wiezell
Vicepresidente 1º
aespinola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Senadora Ana María Juanita Mendoza de Acha
Vicepresidente 2º
amendoza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Senador Jorge Antonio Oviedo Matto
Secretario parlamentario
joviedo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Senador Candido Carmelo Vera Bejarano
Secretario parlamentario
vbejarano@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Senador Arsenio Ocampos Velázquez
Secretario parlamentario
aocampos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

*Partidos políticos de Paraguái*

ANR (Asociación Nacional Republicana – Partido Colorado)
PDC (Partido Demócrata Cristiano)
PEN (Partido Encuentro Nacional)
PLRA (Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico)
PPQ (Partido Patria Querida)
PPS (Partido País Solidario)
PRF (Partido Revolucionario Febrerista)

*Human Rights Watch*

Estados Unidos
New York
hrwnyc@xxxxxxx

Estados Unidos
Washington, D.C.
hrwdc@xxxxxxx

Reino Unido
London
hrwatchuk@xxxxxxxxxx

Bélgica
Bruselas
hrwatcheu@xxxxxxxxxx

________________________________________________

To the political class of the Paraguayan nation. “Guaraní, an official 
language of Mercosur” Campaign.

We demand the political class of Paraguay responsibilities for having 
discriminated Guarani in Paraguay during the past two hundred years.

I hope that what guides the destiny of the Nation / will some day also 
contemplate the hardships suffered under miserable orphanhood.

Mauricio Cardoso Ocampo (1938), Chokokue purahéi (Farmer’s song)

Belgium became an independent country in 1830. The country functions in 
Dutch, French and German.

Norway became an independent country in 1905 and functions in Norwegian, 
with two official variants, Bokmal and Nynorsk.

Finland became an independent country in 1917 and operates in Finnish and 
Swedish.
Iceland became fully independent in 1944 and uses Icelandic.

Malta became independent in 1964 and operates in Maltese and English.

Greenland became an autonomous province of Denmark in 1979 and functions in 
Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) and Danish.

Estonia became an independent country in 1991 and functions in Estonian.

Slovakia became an independent country in 1993 and operates in Slovak.

The same goes for an infinite number of countries around the world.

Paraguay won its independence in 1811. In 195 years of independence, 
Paraguay has never operated in the identifying, historic, sentimental, 
autochthonous, indigenous language spoken by the majority of the population, 
the Guaraní language. Who will answer for this bicentenary injustice, for 
the denial of dignity and the rights of millions of Paraguayans, of 
generations of Paraguayans? An enormous and crucial part of the blame, of 
the responsibility for this injustice lies with the political class of 
Paraguay.

For two hundred years the political class of Paraguay has refused to build 
an authentic “national home” for the Guaraní language. There are hundreds of 
“national homes” for other languages, but none for Guaraní. The elite class 
of this country has refused to create a Paraguayan State that operates in 
Guaraní and uses it in its administration, educational system, armed forces, 
media, economics, culture and art, social and associative life... a country 
in which everyone would also speak Spanish and other languages.

During these two hundred years in which Paraguay has been an independent 
country, languages with the same, or even less number of speakers, with a 
similar or even younger written tradition, have been linguistically and 
socially standardised and are now the languages of small and large countries 
around the world. This is the case for languages such as Finnish, Norwegian, 
Maltese, Estonian, Catalan, Latvian, etc. Why was it denied, why does it 
continue to be denied to Guaraní?

The new Paraguayan State born in 1811 could have adopted the “national” 
tradition of the Jesuit missions to “govern the country” in Guaraní –an 
experience that was abruptly and brutally shattered in 1767, only 44 years 
before reaching independence– and create a state in Guaraní and Spanish. It 
was not done. Never in two hundred years has the political class of Paraguay 
explained the reasons for these two centuries of disgrace, denial and 
contempt.

Now we have the moral obligation, at least to ourselves, and especially to 
all the Paraguayans who preceded us and lived in a state built without their 
language, our language, with regard to history and to all Paraguayans, to 
honestly and even painfully ask ourselves, Why did the Paraguayan State not 
take into account the Guaraní language when it was built? Why has it not 
been done in two hundred years? What abominable prejudices or ignoble, 
selfish and antipatriotic interests have allowed such an unjust and 
arbitrary act, such a barbarity?

The exclusion of the Guaraní language has been a cruel, inhumane, unjust, 
immoral, unethical, unchristian way –in a country in which the majority of 
citizens are Christian– of keeping most of the population in subdued 
poverty, with high rates of illiteracy and suffering under the harshest and 
most atrocious exploitation.. It has been a way of excluding the majority of 
the population from political and citizen participation, of preventing them 
from debating about the model of their state. How has it been possible, in 
two hundred years, to legislate and issue laws, to exchange public and 
private contracts in a language that, until recently, the majority of the 
population did not understand? Is this not an outright injustice? Is it not 
a legal insecurity to leave most of the population completely defenceless? 
How could this happen? How can we let this happen? How could we have done so 
much damage to our own selves?

Paraguay has legislated against the majority of its citizens. It has 
governed against the majority of Paraguayans. Education was never offered to 
all of the population. Never. Providing education to all of the country’s 
citizens meant and still means the creation of one Nation for all, a more 
just Nation for all. If the goal were to educate and reach all of the 
population, then all schooling and teaching would have been done in our 
language, in Guaraní, in addition to teaching other languages. As happens in 
all other normal states of the world. The state of Paraguay would have based 
its foundations on Guaraní. Why was this not done? Why does the Paraguayan 
media not ask itself day after day why this was not done and why it is not 
done now?

In two hundred years, millions of Paraguayans have been stripped of their 
self–esteem. For the sole fact of speaking Guaraní and of being who they 
are. Only because they speak a language that existed before any European 
language had arrived. Their lives have been destroyed merely for speaking a 
language they did not choose, since no one chooses the language they speak. 
They have been denied the right to be first–class citizens in their own 
country because they speak a language that is as or even more American, as 
or even more ancient than our most cherished red earth. The atrocities and 
errors that have been committed are deplorable and worthy of tears. We 
should weep with guilt. Weep for days.

The Guaraní language has been sullied and betrayed. Guaraní saved our Nation 
in the two wars that almost bled us to death, the wars of 1865–1870 and 
1932–1935. By fighting in Guaraní, thousands of Paraguayans were willing to 
die to defend their Nation and the freedom of all. A Nation that was built 
against them, against their language, our language. Any normal country with 
even the slightest feeling of national dignity, self–esteem and respect 
towards its citizens would immediately have made official the language that 
helped save the Nation. But this did not happen in Paraguay. It did not 
happen! It simply did not happen! Even worse, the language and its people 
were persecuted, denigrated, humiliated. Guaraní was in no way elevated to 
the level of a state language; the language of a state for which thousands 
died fighting. This is tantamount to indignity. The language was relegated 
to the level of folklore and was denied dignity and power!

We want to build the future!

We will not forget –nor do we want to forget– our linguistic history. But we 
do want to build our future. A future for Paraguay, a future for Guaraní. A 
future filled with justice. But in order to build this future we need a 
national catharsis, we need our own linguistic truth and justice commission, 
to fight our own battle, to understand and close the wound we bear for all 
that has been done against the Guaraní language and all other Paraguayan 
languages in the past two hundred years.

We want the political class of Paraguay to explain itself. Why have these 
deeds been perpetrated? Why has what has happened to us as a Nation been 
tolerated? We want explanations so as not to repeat the errors of the past.

Once we have been given these explanations, we will look towards the future 
with the need to know, What are we going to do to make Guaraní a fully 
official language of the Paraguayan State, of Mercosur and of our part of 
America?

We ask the political parties for specific compromises:

1.   Not to nominate candidates to election or as trusted members of 
government those who cannot prove having a perfect oral and written command 
of both Guaraní and Spanish.

2.   To use Guaraní orally and written in all publications, posters, 
stickers, placards, webs, speeches, slogans, etc.

3.   To immediately publish their linguistic policy program for Paraguay and 
state their goals for Guaraní –indigenous, national and official language– 
for Spanish –official language– for the rest of the Paraguayan languages and 
for the languages of immigrants. As well as the terms in which these goals 
will be achieved.

4.   To make public the names of those responsible for the linguistic 
policies of each party who, in turn, should explain what they will do to 
carry through their program and the standards by which they will evaluate 
the activities carried out by the Paraguayan government in terms of 
linguistic policies.

Within this context, we demand that the political parties answer the 
following questions:

1.   When will Guaraní be an officially regulated language?

2.   When will Paraguay pass a linguistic policy law?

3.   What will be done for office automation and the use of the most 
universal programs in Guaraní?

4.   When will all laws and other state, departamental and local legal 
provisions be published in Guaraní and in Spanish?

5.   When will it be mandatory –with all means provided– for all Paraguayan 
schoolchildren to have a spoken and written command of Guaraní, Spanish and 
a third language by the time they finish their studies?

6.   When will the Paraguayan administration work, at all levels, in Guaraní 
and Spanish? When will civil servants –old and new– speak and write in both 
languages? When will a national training plan be introduced to prepare 
present civil servants to be able to carry out their duties in both Guaraní 
and Spanish?

7.   When will all national symbology (name of the state, national emblem, 
flag, names of the institutions, national hymn, stamps, passports, identity 
cards, names of the cities, streets and geographical features) also be in 
Guaraní or be named in Guaraní?

8.   When will all public and private media in Paraguay guarantee at least 
50% of its offer in Guaraní?

9.   When will it be mandatory for all Paraguayan firms to offer all of 
their products (including labelling) and services at least in Guaraní and in 
Spanish, and guarantee that their clients will be attended in the language 
of their choice, in Guaraní or in Spanish?

10.   When will the obligation of accrediting foreigners with sufficient 
oral and written knowledge of Guaraní and Spanish before they can obtain the 
Paraguayan nationality be regulated?

11.   What steps will be taken to make Guaraní fully official in Mercosur 
and in the Mercosur Parliament?

12.   What steps will be taken to turn Guaraní into the fifth interamerican 
language alongside Spanish, English, Portuguese and French?

13.   What will be done to facilitate knowledge, relations and cooperation 
amongst all of the Guaraní–speaking American community?

14.   What will be done for Paraguayans abroad with regard to offering 
Guaraní language classes and classes “in Guaraní”?

Tired of the frauds and deceits suffered by all Paraguayans and the Guaraní 
language in the past two hundred years, we ask our friends around the world 
to help us make this denunciation / petition known in order to alert the 
international community, after almost two centuries, of the indignity and 
injustices that the political class of our country has committed and 
continues to commit against our language and the people who speak Guaraní, 
against the citizens of Paraguay.

Paraguay–Asunción, 31 / July / 2006
 




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